Cool Stuff

So many questions, so little space... Many other Star Wars collecting sites also submitted questions you need answered, so if you want to know the latest answers from this week's Hasbro Star Wars Weekly Q&A Session, here's a handy guide to help you get all the info.

From Action Figs:1) Hasbro's answers about making EU figures based on the novels have suggested one of the reasons they're not as likely is because there are no singular visual representations of the characters. However, one of the licensed reference books currently out is "The Essential Guide To Characters" which use Lucasfilm-approved artwork of character likenesses from the novels that are not in the comics, such as many of the Yuuzhan Vong and the Solo Kids. Also, the Japanese cover art likenesses has been claimed as canon by Lucasfilm Licensing executive ficton & comic editor Sue Rostoni, these likenesses being used even on the StarWars.com EU main page as graphic elements. Will Hasbro consider using these sources for the inspiration for future Expanded Universe action figures?

2) Considering it is the very first spaceship we see in Star Wars and plays a significant role in the first part of the movie, as well as appearing in ROTS, will the Tantive IV (aka Rebel Blockade Runner) vehicle ever be offered?

3) With the onslaught of Titaniums Series 3" vehicles lately (5 waves hit stores from beginning of October to end of November) are there less vehicles per wave being produced or are they just moving that fast? Also, will there be refreshes of these waves for collectors that missed them when they were briefly on shelves?

From FFURG.com:1) The Marvel Comics 2-packs have been hit or miss with collectors. I personally like them as this is something I wanted to see Kenner do back in the 80's and the execution with these figures is great. I was wondering though about the choice of Vader's for the Vader/Rebel Officer pack. This pack is clearly based off the scene where Vader chokes the Rebel Officer, yet Hasbro chose to go with a Vader figure that could not re-create the scene, such as the 2002 SAGA Vader. Even a new arm sculpt would have done the trick here. Was there a decision made about not re-creating the choking scene as shown in the comic?

2) Customizers often use other LFL licensed sources for inspiration or reference, like Wizards of the Coast's Miniatures or Trading Card Game. The Miniatures line seems to be in full swing but what about the Trading Card Game? We haven't seen a new set since Revenge of the Sith. Is the Trading Card game dead or just resting?

3) In the last two years, Target has received many Exclusive Star Wars items, but inevitably many of them go on clearance on a national-scale such as the Lava Reflection Jedi and Demise of Grievous figures as well as the Skirmish in the Senate Battlepack. How do these clearances effect what exclusive items Hasbro will make in future years and what steps are being taken to ensure a more premium based item is made as an exclusive?

From Galactic Hunter:1) Titanium action figures seem to have found a nice niche. Is there any chance of seeing some of the cool speeders, like the Return of the Jedi Speederbike, made in metal? This would open the door for a whole new level of detail (similar to Gentle Giant's Speederbike mini-statue).

2) With half of the year leaked out via retailer solicitation lists, are there any major surprises still in store for us collecting folk at Toy Fair this February? Will we see Hasbro circling the wagons around existing lines, or will there be any new sub-lines introduced?

3) Through European outlets, images of the Treachery on Saleucami Battle Pack have leaked out, and the set quite obviously includes two Republic Speederbikes. Is this, perhaps, the future for the small-sized vehicles, or is this Battle Pack a one-off? (Is this a Target exclusive?)

From Jedi Defender:1) How many sculptors work on the basic Star Wars figure line and how does the process work? Is one sculptor assigned to a particular figure and solely responsible for it's look? Are there sculptors that work solely on Star Wars or do they work on other lines as well?

2) The E-11 Imperial Blaster role-play toy has never looked quite right since it lost the 3 position, fold-out stock featured in the original 1978 release. Any chance we could see that piece return, even if it doesn't actually fold out anymore?

3) What does the future hold for the Titanium Series 3.75" Forged Figure line? It seems like the major retailers are clearing out the figures and ending support for the line, but there are a pile of 10-12 previously announced figures that have yet to be released. Is this line really being cancelled or will it be making a comeback this summer?

From Jedi Insider:1) Images of the Treachery On Saleucami Battle Pack with BARC speeders recently showed up on the internet. First can you tell us if this will be a store exclusive, or will it see a regular release? Second can you tell us if there are any plans to do further battle packs like this one with the small vehicles? For instance Speeder Bikes with Endor Luke and Leia or Taun Tauns with Hoth Han and Luke are some suggestions our readers have made.

2) With the Transformers movie due out later this year, can you tell us anything about the plans you have for the Star Wars/Transformers line in 07?

3) In a previous Q/A you said there would be a new Mace Windu figure released this year with decent articulation, any chance we can get a sneak peek of that figure with an image?

From Jedi Temple Archives:1) Are there any plans to do any more vehicles with sound effects like the POTF line?

2) Why does the Greatest Battle C-3PO come with so many different base variations. All the rest of the figure in that line come with the ROTS base. We can see where the white/grey Tantive IV base some into play, but what is the inspiration behind the brown one?

3) The images of the interacting Super Battle Droid and R2-D2 from the 1st wave of 30th Anniversary figures fresh in mind...will other figures from that line have features that interact and/or will they come with accessories that interact on either the basic figure level or a "deluxe figure level next year?

From Sandtroopers.com:1) The aliens from Jabba's Palace and Sailbarge show some of the most wild creatures in the Star Wars Universe. Are you planning to make never before made figures from the movie, such as Sgt. Doallyn, Bane Master, Weequay Skiff Master, Weequay Marksman, Kithaba(an easy Barada repaint), and of course new Niktos?

2) I fully applaud the current direction you're taking with respect to the EU characters that are slated for 2007. I'm a big EU fan and especially love Timothy Zahn's creations. That said, I'm thrilled to see a new Thrawn, Mara and Bothan announced, or so I read. For the Bothan, what interpretation (source) will you be using for the figure? (I'm very partial to the old 'SW: Rebellion' computergame look for the Bothans myself) Also, are there currently plans to incorporate Talon Karrde, Joruus C'baoth and a Noghri into the line?

3) Is there any truth to the rumor tail end of waves aren't produced as much as figures in the beginning of the line?

Click here for the answers to these questions. (Forum registration required.)

From Sir Steve's Guide:1) Will the Mara Jade comic figure be based only on how she appeared in the comics or will Mara Jade-actress Shannon McRandle's likeness be taken into account?

2) From what we've seen, the recent Toys R Us-exclusive Endor AT-AT and Target-exclusive Imperial Shuttle have both sold fairly well, the Imperial Shuttle selling through in only a matter of weeks. Will this mean we'll be more likely to see more larger vehicles in the future? If so, would they likely be all-new molds, retooled molds, or unmodified reissues? As a side note, some collectors have felt that large vehicles would always sell better if they were released just before Christmas the way Imperial Shuttle was, furthering the likelihood of selling more units to a wider market - what's Hasbro's take on that?

3) Off and on since the first Saga line in 2002, basic figure waves have been planned and released around themes - either by a specific scene or by a movie in general. By planning figures in themes, does that require rushing some figures to make a wave's deadline simply because it fits the theme, or padding the wave with figures that aren't entirely satisfying simply to fill the wave with theme-oriented characters? Is the themed wave idea somewhat constricting to what can be done, and have there ever been figures that were planned for a wave but didn't get finished in time and were shelved for missing their theme?

NEW:From Star Wars Action News:1) It seems several vehicles are based on vintage molds, such as the recent Imperial Shuttle still having the molded 1983 copyright date on the ship What is the process involved in reusing a vintage mold with the modern line? Are original Kenner molds able to be utilized again off the shelf, do they need to be retooled based on the original molds, or is there another process entirely?

2) On the mini Titanium vehicles we have noticed several problems with the stands. Perhaps one of the worst offenders is the Death Star, which seems to always fall off my stand, roll across my desk, and onto the floor. Is Hasbro aware of the issue with certain stands not holding the heavy vehicles, and is there anything being done to correct this?

From SW Collector:1) None of the Kit Fisto figures released so far by Hasbro fit properly into the Kit Fisto Jedi Starfighter vehicle. Could we see a revised figure designed to fit into this vehicle at some point?

2) Many people are complaining about the repackaged Unleashed figures, such as the upcoming ROTS Obi-Wan / ROTS Anakin / Shadowtrooper. The Shadowtrooper, a re-paint, is the only one people seem to want since, ROTS Obi-Wan and Anakin can still be found on shelves in some areas. Are there any plans for new sculpts for the 7" line? If not, since you're releasing older ones with new packaging, why not release ones that hardly anyone was able to find during initial release, like the removable helmet Vader?

3) The past Holiday Edition figure sets, such as R2 and 3PO, Yoda, the Jawas, and then Vader, were great. Since the Vader didn't seem to sell that well, and wasn't very well received by many collectors, is that why the line has been canceled? Just a personal note, just because the Vader didn't sell well doesn't mean people don't want these Christmas figs. Maybe if the Vader would have been the one shown on the card enclosed, you probably would have sold out.

NEW:From TheJawa.com:1) Will every Star Wars film have a Wave in the 30th Anniversary Collection line this year?

2) SAGA # 042 C-3PO - Ewok Deity was a great step forward for a protocol droid sculpt. Can we expect to see this figure sculpt reused for future protocol droid releases such as E-3PO, U-3PO or for a new version of 4-LOM?

3) In an earlier Q&A session, Hasbro was asked about trying to get exclusive items offered through various retail partners' websites. The response that we got was that efforts were being made to get some of the exclusive items made available online. However at this time it appears that only Toys R Us and KayBee have made their exclusives available online. What has the response been from retail partners like Target and WalMart on this issue? It does not appear that they have made their exclusives available to collectors online.

From Yakface:1) I love the holographic/ghost effect you used on the Saga Jedi Luke Skywalker (Hologram) and the Spirit of Obi-Wan Kenobi figures. Using the different colors of translucent plastic along with the pearlescent finish made it look very close to the holograms/ghosts in the films. I'm wondering why this approach was abandoned on subsequent hologram figures like Commander Cody, Plo Koon, Aayla Secura and so on? Flesh tones and colors on clothing and armor are quite distinct on the characters in their hologram form albiet muted under a blue or purple glow. Which is why I love the Luke/Obi wan figures and why I was a bit dissappointed when all holo figures afterward became entirely translucent blue. Finally, are new spirit of Yoda and Anakin figures being considered to match the previous Obi-Wan, and if so, is it possible for Anakin to have swappable Hayden, Sebastian heads? Thank you!

2) Hasbro, for the upcoming Geonosis Arena Battlepack, what was the reasoning for putting in the selection of characters you chose? Why not a little more of a mix of some more accurate sculpts/more desireable figures, such as the following -

3) Are there any plans for producing Galactic Hero Playsets? Given the size of the figures, success of the line, and the fact that nearly all of them now have holes in the feet... it would seem to be a natural course to take. The Falcon was awesome especially since it doubled as a ship and playset. I know a six year old who would love to see a Death Star, Arena Battle, or Hoth playset sitting on his floor.

From Yoda's News:1) With the wide variety of Clone Trooper colors, my stormtrooper contingent is looking rather drab in comparison. Given that it's possible that "just offscreen" there might have been some elite stormtrooper squads (like the blackhole troopers) that had coloring other than white and black? Have you given any thought to making a camoflauge deco stormtrooper, or a red royal guard stormtrooper or other types of colorful markings?

2) The titanium Red Royal Guard TIE Interceptor looks sweet! Is there a chance a 3-3/4" version might be in the works?

3) Has Hasbro been given access to upcoming Star Wars projects, like the new tv shows, to begin working on products that will be released when the projects debut?